Eye-Care Products Company Alcon Buys 125-Acre Tract in Fort Worth, Texas.

Byline: Trebor Banstetter

Oct. 25--FORT WORTH, Texas--Alcon Laboratories has purchased a 125-acre tract next to its headquarters from the Amon G. Carter Foundation.

The property, just east of the Alcon campus, was purchased a few weeks ago, Alcon spokeswoman Mary Dulle said. There are no immediate plans to expand to the property, she said.

"We don't have any current plans to develop it; the purchase was made in case we need it in the future," she said, adding that "it's a very nice piece of land."

The acquisition comes as Alcon's parent company, Nestle of Vevey, Switzerland, is mulling whether to launch a public offering of a portion of Alcon's stock. The company is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestle.

Alcon, which is the world's leading manufacturer of eye-care products, has a large campus in south Fort Worth. It has 2,600 employees in Tarrant County.

For years, Alcon has been slowly expanding its South Freeway headquarters near Interstate 35W. Last year, the company ...